The present invention relates generally to a reception display device and a reception display method for receiving digital broadcasts. More specifically, the invention relates to a receiver (IRD: integrated receiver decoder) for receiving and decoding digital broadcasts containing interactive user guides.
In digital broadcasting systems today, video data and audio data for a channel is compression-coded using an MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group) algorithm and formed into packets, commonly referred to as a TS (transport stream) packet. TS packets for a plurality of channels are multiplexed to generate a transport stream and then transmitted as a digital broadcasting signal via a communication medium such as a cable or an air interface for wireless communication.
In a digital broadcasting system, a receiver extracts compressed video data and compressed audio data for a desired channel from the TS packets which are included in the transport stream received as a digital broadcasting signal, and decodes them to reproduce the video data and audio data.
Normally, in such a receiver, reproduced images are displayed on a monitor which is integrally provided or is connected with a cable.
The receiver typically has a function called a resident GUI (Graphical User Interface) and stores software for performing the display processing of the resident GUI in an internal memory as an application program. A CPU executes the software for the resident GUI in response to a user's operations. A graphic section controlled by this software generates a resident GUI screen and performs display processing so as to superimpose and display it on a program screen being received.
The resident GUI screen usually includes a display of the selected channel (a channel banner), a setting menu for the receiver, a list of favorite channels, an EPG (electronic program guide), and various messages for users.
In recent years, in addition to conventional video broadcasts, a variety of data broadcasting services, such as broadcasting music, game software, and the like, have been offered. Such a data broadcasting service is interactive, allowing a user to obtain desired information and to download music and game software by his operations.
An interactive program is a program which does not relate to and is independent of television programs. In the interactive program, a software program for displaying an operation screen (hereinafter, referred to as an interactive GUI) is also transmitted from a broadcasting station in addition to various data such as a motion picture, a still picture, a sound, or a letter, so that a user can perform various operations while watching a screen. Languages such as an MHEG (Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Experts Group) and XML (extensible Markup Language) are used for the description of the software program for displaying this interactive GUI. A CPU of the receiver, receiving such an interactive program, reads a language such as MHEG and XML, to perform processing operations in accordance with the received program.
The resident GUI screen and the interactive GUI screen may be displayed at the same time on the same monitor. As shown in FIG. 13, it is possible to display a screen having a resident GUI screen F1 superimposed on a program picture FO and further, an interactive GUI screen F2 superimposed on them. It is also possible to display a screen having an interactive GUI screen superimposed on the program picture FO and further, a resident GUI screen superimposed on them.
Such cases present a problem in that the front GUI can be seen but parts of the underlying GUI can not be seen where the resident GUI screen and the interactive GUI screen overlap. Setting menus of the resident GUI or operation buttons of the interactive GUI may be hidden and desired operations can not be performed.
One prior art method of solving such a problem changes a display position of the resident GUI to simultaneously display the resident GUI screen and the interactive GUI screen on the same monitor. However, new software must be developed for the resident GUI which must then take into account all interactive GUI formats and increases development time and cost.